Lindblad Expeditions Arctic Cruise — John Roberts Shares 5 Reasons To Choose The National Geographic Resolution

5 Reasons To Choose A Lindblad Expeditions Arctic Cruise

By John Roberts

Lindblad Expeditions is renowned for launching modern expedition cruising, offering immersive and eco-conscious voyages to the masses.

The company’s evolution from the first trips to Antarctica and the Galapagos in the mid-1960s has reached a new level with the 138-passenger luxury expedition ship National Geographic Resolution.

Resolution, which launched in fall 2021, is sister ship to National Geographic Endurance (debuted in summer 2021), and I sailed an epic Lindblad Expeditions Arctic cruise that began in Svalbard, visited east Greenland and ended at Iceland.

The NatGeo Resolution at Jan Mayen. * Photo: John Roberts

During my two-week trip, I sailed with 61 other passengers, so the ship was not quite half full. This meant we had plenty of space to roam in the well-designed luxe vessel and a lot of attention from the crew onboard.

The trip was filled with sightings of polar bears, seals, walruses, whales, dolphins and so many seabirds.

There were puffins and kittiwakes. Fulmars and Arctic terns. Eider ducks and barnacle geese. Gulls and Guillemots. You get the idea.

Vigur Puffins. * Photo: John Roberts

The wild animals and the beauty of their unique remote habitat is truly awesome.

But there might be something better about being on this itinerary.

Capt. Martin Graser told me during a conversation midway through the sailing — after we had been through the ice of 80 degrees north latitude at Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean and as we made our way toward the eastern edge of Greenland:

“People think they come for the animals, but then realize they really are here for the ice,” Captain Graser said.

It was true.

The ice of the Arctic, as seen from the decks of the NatGeo Resolution. * Photo: John Roberts

Being on an ice-class polar ship like National Geographic Resolution (NatGeo for short!) is a cruise unlike any other. The ship brings cruisers into places they never would have imagined are navigable. And Capt. Graser likes pushing it as far as he safely can.

Pushing through the ice, with the help of views from the bridge wings. * Photo: John Roberts

We all marveled as Resolution churned through the icy drink to make its way north and into places that have never been charted. It was a treat to wander to the outer decks to gaze at the snow-capped mountains reflecting in the water and to linger at the bow and witness the ship slicing into fresh sheets of ice, carving out our new route.

It was mostly smooth sailing, but an occasional boom resonated from the hull to let us know we were in the middle of the frozen cocktail.

“All the paint is gone,” Graser said to me, joking.

The beautiful ice seen on an Arctic expedition. * Photo: John Roberts

VIDEO: Below, John shares an overview of his Lindblad Expeditions Arctic cruise adventure.

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Let’s have a look at five things adventurous travelers are going to enjoy about sailing on an Arctic cruise with Lindblad Expeditions.

1. A Lindblad Expeditions Arctic Cruise Is A Class Above

National Geographic Resolution is a Polar Class 5 ship. This means the ship can operate year-round in first-year ice (which is thicker than young ice and around for up to a year).

As of this writing, just five cruise ships are rated Polar Class 5 or higher:

• Swan Hellenic’s SH Vega
• Swan Hellenic’s SH Minerva
• Lindblad’s National Geographic Endurance
• Lindblad’s National Geographic Resolution
• Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot (the highest-rated cruise ship on the seas, at Polar Class 2)

To have the best chance to see polar bears, you have to get into the sea ice where they live and hunt. This is exactly where we saw our bears. We enjoyed two separate sightings during our voyage.

On our third day of cruising, our alarm clock struck at 6:30 a.m. in the form of the booms and rattles from the ship reaching pack ice in the northwest corner of Svalbard. The ship came alive when we reached pack ice and pushed forward foot by foot. We kept a look out for the bears.

There they were. Two polar bears swimming in the ice a couple hundred yards ahead of the bow. Passengers and crew gathered on the outer decks at the front of the ship and on the bridge alongside an equally giddy captain, crew and expedition team.

Capt Martin looks for polar bears. * Photo: John Roberts

We were able to spy the polar bears through binoculars, and many of the passengers own long-lens cameras for shooting pictures of these special moments on an Arctic cruise.

We had one more bear spotting in the ice a few days later, as well as numerous sightings of walruses and seals lazing on the ice. This is why you choose a polar class vessel.

Do note, it’s fairly rare to see a polar close up; typically they’ll be off in the distance. And in some cases, you won’t get lucky enough to see one at all.

RELATED: Ted tells us the differences between an Arctic and an Antarctica cruise.

RELATED: Ted explains the ins and outs of Svalbard.

2. Delicious Food & Drinks Aboard National Geographic Resolution

One of the most difficult things we had to decide each day was where to eat lunch.

There are two restaurants on National Geographic Resolution, and they both offer lunch but with different menus.

Tupaia is the casual eatery on Deck 8 at the top of the ship in The Den, which is the large observation lounge complex. Tupaia serves early-riser breakfasts, followed by a small but fuller breakfast menu with a special sandwich of the day, and then lunch and later, tea time snacks.

The main restaurant is called Two Seven Zero, and it offers a bright space with plenty of windows along the sides and very aft of the ship that let cruisers keep an eye out for scenery and wildlife during mealtimes.

The main restaurant. * Photo: John Roberts

Two Seven Zero serves a buffet breakfast (with a station to get eggs made to order) and sit-down lunches and dinners.

About those lunches. Colleen and I always looked over the menus — available on display the night before — and found the options tempting at both restaurants. For example, the main dining room’s menu features items like butter chicken tikka masala, grilled dorado and a grilled cheese and red onion marmalade sandwich, while at Tupaia you could have a chicken tortilla wrap and butternut squash ravioli.

Ribs for lunch. * Photo: John Roberts

In fact, we saw chicken wings available in Tupaia one day while Two Seven Zero featured my favorite pasta, spaghetti Bolognese. So, we had our wings at Tupaia as an appetizer before moving down to the main dining room to finish our lunch with the goodies there, which always included a tasty dessert and assortment of ice cream like a rocky road, fudge brownie or guanabana.

All this to say, the food is outstanding on NatGeo Resolution.

Dinner menus for our cruise included items like marinated tuna sashimi, beef tenderloin, pan-seared Norwegian Arctic char and different specialty soups and pastas each day.

Surf and Turf on board the NatGeo Resolution. * Photo: John Roberts

The “Apple Rock” dessert in Chef’s Table. * Photo: John Roberts

There is also an included Chef’s Table dining event. Cruisers eat family style at a long table in The Den up on Deck 8.

This is a wonderful experience that plays on Lindblad’s passion for sustainability. The Cook’s Nook Zero Waste menu features seven courses constructed from food items available on the ship that otherwise might be headed to the scrap bin.

Cook’s Nook Zero Waste menu. * Photo: John Roberts

Chef Aleksandar and his team created courses of tuna and pan-seared halibut and duck breast that were accompanied by vegetables used in broths, mousses and chips and foods that were pickled, caramelized and roasted to provide a flavorful meal that we all enjoyed alongside wine pairings, lively conversations and stunning views of the Arctic scenery from our seats in the observation lounge.

As a beer lover (and we had several onboard), I note here that the ship did a great job stocking craft brews from Svalbard Brewery before we set sail. Cruisers loved the taste of the stout, lager, pale ale and IPA from the northernmost craft brewery in the world. There also was a fine variety of daily drink specials and a menu filled with craft cocktails.

The craft beers on board. * Photo: John Roberts

3. The Photography Program Lindblad Offers

Lindblad Expeditions has always placed a strong emphasis on its photography instruction. Two members of the National Geographic Resolution expedition team were there to conduct talks and lead shore walks for photo buffs — all in an effort to help travelers get their best images during our trip, whether on their smart phones or with specialty cameras.

We also cruised with two divers who dove each day they could and came back with fascinating underwater footage to show off during the recaps right before dinner. This includes images of sea kelp, puffins swimming offshore and small sea creatures that live in dark environments and near caves.

Our ship photographers and videographers are also naturalists, so they provide valuable double-duty in giving you great info about animal behavior or geology as you train your lens on the subject.

Expedition Guide Shell leads a hike and share photography tips. * Photo: John Roberts

The ship features a Photo Studio and an inventory of OM Systems equipment (cameras and lenses) that passengers can use for free. The only caveat: You break it, you bought it.

There are three computer terminals in the studio where cruisers can review, edit and offload photos to hard drives. The photo team also sets up a sharing system for passengers to exchange pics and to offer images to be reviewed in a public setting for feedback, as well as provide content to be used in the end-of-cruise movie that everyone watches as a presentation in the ship’s Ice Lounge.

The ship’s Ice Lounge. * Photo: John Roberts

4. The Top Decks 6, 7 & 8 Are Top Notch

The ship’s Ice Lounge on Deck 6 is the main public gathering space, with a bar, the Photo Studio and a coffee station and fridge for self-serve beverages. At the aft just outside is a wonderful space with two fire pits and heating lamps that make it enjoyable to sit outside with new friends to enjoy the views even in the cool temps.

The fire pit. * Photo: John Roberts

And down on Deck 3 is Base Camp, which is the expedition room for launching the Zodiac operations and partaking in the polar plunge.

A polar cruise wouldn’t be a cruise with John polar plunging! * Photo: Jeff Litton

It has lockers to store boots and other equipment you don’t want to keep in your stateroom. I like that the staff sets up a hot drinks station (cocoas, teas, ciders) that await cruisers when they return from their activities.

But the best spaces are at the top of National Geographic Resolution, on Decks 7 and 8.

Way up top, I’ve already told you about The Den observation lounge, which has Tupaia, the eatery that offers breakfast, lunches and afternoon tea. Once per cruise, weather permitting, the restaurant staff will put on a barbecue grill meal out on deck (unfortunately, this wasn’t possible on our cruise). There is a big grilling setup on the outer deck up here with al fresco seating.

The Den also has a library toward the front of the ship. It’s a serene quiet space with 270-degree views. Chairs face the windows, and there are binoculars, a scope, games, puzzles and books here.

The Den Library. * Photo: John Roberts

You can step down a staircase from here to reach the bridge and visit with the bridge team and expedition staff, who are usually here trying to spot wildlife. The bridge on NatGeo Resolution is open all the time for cruisers, and Capt. Martin loves chatting about navigating the ice and all the cool specs of his ship.

A deck outside wraps around the front of the observation lounge, and you can pop out for views in any direction. People often can be seen walking their daily laps around Deck 8.

The outdoor decks of the NatGeo Resolution. * Photo: John Roberts

At the aft on Deck 8 is the outer area of The Sanctuary wellness complex. There are two infinity hot tubs and some lounge chairs. At each side, you’ll see the igloos. These two sleep huts are available on polar itineraries for unique sleep experiences. The room hangs a little over the edge of the ship, and the glass honeycomb lets you see outside to enjoy any seabirds, mammals or pretty landscape that come into view during the 24 hours of daylight.

The igloo. * Photo: John Roberts

They aren’t heated, so hot water bottles can be tucked into the comfy two-person bed with you. You also get earplugs, sleep masks and a cape to throw on in case you need a bathroom break (just inside The Sanctuary nearby). The igloo experience is offered first to passengers who booked suites, then all others who are interested can get on a waitlist. We got a turn and it was worthwhile to try.

The Sanctuary is a large space dedicated to wellness activities. There is a huge yoga studio with incredible window views out the back of the ship.

The Sanctuary. * Photo: John Roberts

There were no yoga or fitness classes during our cruise, as a yoga instructor isn’t aboard on polar expeditions, but a handful of passengers took advantage of the 7 a.m. stretch classes offered.

Resolution has massage rooms, and the spa team offers deep-tissue, relaxing and therapeutic treatments. We loved the two saunas and serene relaxation in The Sanctuary. There is a Tropic sauna, which is a more humid environment, and a Nordic Sauna with dry heat.

On Deck 7, you find the bridge at the front of the ship and the gym at the aft. The fitness center is large, with bikes, a rowing machine, dumbbells, treadmills and ellipticals, as well as resistance training machines, yoga mats and other equipment.

The space of the room and variety of equipment will satisfy any fitness junkies and is especially impressive for a small expedition ship.

The roomy seaview gym. * Photo: John Roberts

5. Wonderful Mix Of Off-Ship Activities, Including Hiking, Kayaking & Zodiac Tours

The Lindblad program features daily Zodiac tours and landings for hikes and walks when weather conditions allow.

Colleen in a Zodiac. * Photo:

We had a few days of fog that limited visibility from the ship while we sailed, but we often lucked out and saw the fog lift when we got to the end of a fjord or offshore from an island for our visits.

The expedition team worked to organize hikes that would suit everybody’s preference, such as a photo walk with one of the photo experts, a short hike, medium hike or long hike. There definitely are some long and steep hiking options for those who want some hearty exercise along with the amazing views.

John & Colleen on a hike. * Photo: John Roberts

We took a hike at Ingeborgfjellet to see an incredible protected bird area with more than 10,000 birds, mostly little auks.

At Hornsund, Colleen and I joined the long hike group to scale a high vertical cliff called Gnalodden, where thousands upon thousands of kittiwakes and guillemots nest on the massive rock that rises from the permafrost.

Gnalodden Rock. * Photo: John Roberts

John and Colleen at Gnalodden. * Photo: John Roberts

We enjoyed several hikes and walks during the voyage, which helped us earn our tasty meals and sleep well each night. At Bear Island, we hiked for miles up and down the valleys and ridgelines.

Zodiac to Bear Island. * Photo: John Roberts

We were told that it is rare to be able to come ashore at this special place because it is usually foggy and the shoreline is lashed by waves. But we had a perfect day that also allowed us to go on a Zodiac tour and see puffins, gannets, guillemots and Arctic terns co-existing in this remote speck in the Barents Sea midway between Norway and Svalbard.

The summit at Bear Island. * Photo: John Roberts

Another fun hike took place on Jan Mayen Island, where we hiked up a hill to get a good look at Beerenberg, the world’s northernmost volcano.

John on the Jan Mayen hike. * Photo: John Roberts

Jan Mayen has no permanent residents. Three Norwegian scientists work there as part of a combined military and meteorological station. You can mail postcards and buy souvenirs here, and many got T-shirts and dropped off postcards.

Chief Purser Harry drops off the postcards. * Photo: John Roberts

Colleen and I kayaked one day, paddling up toward the face of a glacier during our time cruising in northwest Svalbard. This was unlike most polar sea kayaking excursions I have done. Lindblad didn’t offer a guided outing. Instead, we were set loose on our own to explore the area. We also used sit-on-top inflatable kayaks instead of standard sea kayaks.

John & his wife Colleen on an inflatable kayak. * Photo: John Roberts

We didn’t get dry suits to protect us in case anyone toppled into the icy waters. Instead, we wore lanyards that would alert the crew if anyone fell in.

It didn’t feel like the safest way to go out in the Arctic, but all the kayaking sessions went off without an incident, and we had a fun time paddling around the ice and getting up close to swimming guillemots.

We mostly observed Greenland from our ship, as we couldn’t get to the coast through the ice. We ended up in a beautiful fjord and up close to a huge stretch of fast ice (ice attached to shore). We went out on a fascinating Zodiac exploration for our only lengthy activity off the ship at Greenland.

Greenland and fast ice. * Photo: John Roberts

In Iceland, we visited Vigur, a tiny private island and incredible bird habitat with hundreds of puffins and Arctic terns swirling in the air overhead. Then, at Isafjordur in the Westfjords region, some took a hike, others went on a bus tour, and Colleen and I joined five others on a food and beer walk through the small town.

Isafjordur in Iceland. * Photo: John Roberts

At Dokkan Brewery, we sampled a couple of the 13 varieties they offer and left with a couple cans to stash in our luggage to enjoy back home.

Dokkan Beers. * Photo: John Roberts

The trip wrapped up in Reykjavik the next day, and some of the cruisers were extending their trips with a few days to explore more of Iceland.

We joined a tour of the peninsula to see some of the volcanic steam vents and other scenic sights around the capital city region before getting dropped off at the airport for the flight back to the States.

Why Go On A Lindblad Expeditions Arctic Cruise?

This itinerary gave us time at five distinct destinations in the world that few people get to see. At Svalbard, we were able to spend a few days at Spitsbergen (the largest and only permanently populated island in the archipelago) and visit Bear Island and Jan Mayen Island before heading through the ice to East Greenland and eventually cruising to Iceland.

We were fortunate to have enough enjoyable weather and thrilling ice conditions to give us a full flavor of the Arctic. NatGeoResolution offers great spaces, smart expedition staff and a wonderful hotel staff and culinary program to tie it all together.

Pick this itinerary, or something similar, so that you can have the best chance to see polar bears, walruses, puffins and incredible seabird colonies, as well as visit interesting towns and islands in Iceland. You’ll be amazed that Greenland is so icy and that Iceland is so green in summertime.

This two-plus week voyage with Lindblad Expeditions differs from the other Arctic cruise I did right after, an eight-day trip on Swan Hellenic’s luxury 192-passenger ship SH Diana. On SH Diana, we spent the entire time around Svalbard. Both trips are excellent, offering activities including hiking, kayaking, the polar plunge and Zodiac cruising.

I always prefer a longer trip with more destinations on the program, but if you want an introductory Arctic immersion at Svalbard to learn all about its history, wildlife, fjords and ice formations, a trip with Swan Hellenic is a fine option.

RELATED: John Nowlan reviews Swan Hellenic’s SH Vega. 

A polar cruise wouldn’t be a cruise with John polar plunging! * Photo: Jeff Litton

A Few Minor Caveats

Unlike many other expedition cruise ships that I have sailed, Lindblad does not provide binoculars in the cabins for passengers to use during the trip. There are scopes on tripods and several pairs of binoculars placed in public areas for cruisers to share.

Also, some programs include backpacks along with the parkas and water bottles that are yours to keep. Typically, boots and water pants also are available to use on the cruise. Lindblad did not give out backpacks on our trip, and boots and water pants come with a rental fee.

There is no room service program. You can request a meal in your room if you aren’t feeling well (seasickness, perhaps), but this service isn’t promoted, and there are no menus or continental breakfast offerings like you might see on other cruise ships.

Our Lindblad Expeditions Arctic Cruise Itinerary

The cruise begins as people meet up for an overnight stay at The Hotel Bristol in Oslo. There is a boxed lunch available after you check in with the Lindblad team, and we enjoyed some sightseeing around the city center area near the hotel before reconvening for a group welcome dinner at a large meeting room in the hotel.

Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

A lavish breakfast buffet is available before cruisers hop on buses to head to the airport for a charter flight (three hours) to Longyearbyen, Svalbard.

We boarded National Geographic Resolution at the pier in Longyearbyen, the largest town in Svalbard, with more than 2,500 residents. After getting off our charter flight, we had a bus tour around town before getting on the ship in the early afternoon, to begin our 14-night cruise.

Our Svalbard, Iceland & Greenland’s East Coast voyage itinerary looked like this:

• Day 1 — Olso,  a hotel night, included (Norway)
• Day 2 — Charter flight to Longyearbyen and embark NatGeo Resolution (Norway)
• Day 3 — At Bellsund, western Spitsbergen (Norway)
• Day 4 — Cruising the northwest corner of Svalbard (Norway)
• Day 5 — Hinlopenstrettet, East Svalbard (Norway)
• Day 6 — Hornsund Fjord (Norway)
• Day 7 — Bear Island, Svalbard (Norway)
• Day 8 — Cruising to Jan Mayen Island (Norway)
• Day 9 — Jan Mayen Island (Norway)
• Day 10 — At Sea, ice navigation
• Day 11 — Cruising to the coast of East Greenland (Greenland)
• Day 12 — East Greenland at 68 degrees north latitude (Greenland)
• Day 13 — Cruising Denmark Strait to Iceland (Iceland)
• Day 14 — Isafjordur, Iceland (Iceland)
• Day 15 — Flatey and Grundafjordur (Iceland)
• Day 16 — Reykjavik, disembark to fly home (Iceland)

Lindblad Expeditions Arctic cruise route. * Map: Lindblad

In Conclusion

Our expedition lasted a total of 16 days, including the pre-cruise hotel night, and most of us onboard would not have minded if it had been a few more days. There is so much to see in these amazing places, and it seems like we caught just brief glimpses of Greenland and Iceland.

Cruising on National Geographic Resolution in the Arctic offers the chance to see and do a lot in this fascinating remote part of the world. Lindblad Expeditions impresses with its conservation measures ingrained in the culinary program.

Fellow passengers come mostly from Canada and the United States and are well-traveled people ages 50-plus. Almost our entire ship had been to both the Galapagos and Antarctica already, for example.

Captain Martin said we had made the season’s first circumnavigation of Spitsbergen and had traveled 2,578 nautical miles. It was an exciting and adventurous voyage.

John with the NatGeo Resolution in the background. * Photo: Colleen McDaniel

Interested In This Lindblad Expeditions Arctic Cruise

Fares for this all-inclusive 14-night cruise (plus a pre-cruise hotel night and including charter flights to and from Longyearbyen), start at $20,540 per person.

HERE is more info about this very special cruise.

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